The OpenROV submersible is a low cost and open source kit designed for exploration and education. Originally launched on Kickstarter in 2012 it has now grown into a dedicated global community launching missions everywhere from Hawaii to the UK.

Link to audio file (34:33)

In the episode, we speak with Eric Stackpole and David Lang from the OpenROV project about their challenge in developing Eric’s idea to find an easy way to explore a cave that was rumored to contain a sunken treasure near his home.

Why should flying robots have all the headlines! This year has been full of robots that swim, so here is a small collection, from swarms to explorers, from nanobots to humanoids. 

The attached video, posted by Make Magazine, addresses what was apparently a subject of much discussion at the 2012 Open Hardware Summit, this past Thursday, which is MakerBot’s decision not to share the design files for its Replicator(TM)2 3D printer. What follows is the description that accompanies the video, with links inserted

At this year’s Open Hardware Summit (9/27) in NYC, the MAKE video team asked some key participants (from MakerBot, SparkFun, Evil Mad Scienrist, OpenROV and others) what they thought about MakerBot closing off some of its source files. Here’s some of what they had to say.

While not strictly about robotics, there is a high degree of overlap between the open source hardware movement and hobbyist robotics. In particular, 3D printers are frequently employed to fabricate parts for robots.